Process for preparing pickles



Dec. 25, 1962 Filed Sept. '11, 1959 O. C- HARTMANN PROCESS FOR PREPARINGPICKLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Al PRES SURE STEAM Ed ECTOR OTTO HARTMANN kadmuATTORNEYS Dec. 25, 1962 o. c. HARTMANN 3,070,444

PROCESS FOR PREPARING PICKLES Filed Sept. 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2WWI/I INVENTOR OTTO HA RTM AN N ATTORNEYS 3,070,444 PROCESS FGRPREPARING Fl-CKLES Gtto -C. Hartmann, Chicago, ill, assigucr tofieatrlee Foods (10., Chicago, llll., a corporation of Delaware FiledSent. 11, 1959, Ser. No. 839,300 6 illaims. (Cl. 99-l02) This inventionrelates to the treatment of pickles and embodies an improved process fortreating the same with conventional dill syrup or sugar syrup.

In the manufacture of the pickles the cucumbers are held in a salt wateror aqueous brine solution of about to 20% NaCl, usualy about for variousperiods of time at about 35 to 100 F., usually about 70 F., but in thewinter sometimes at 35 P. so as to equalize the permeation throughoutthe pickle body, i.e., to equalize the pickles. Thereafter the picklesare drained and in their equalized condition, the solution is replacedwith rinse water to give a temperature of about 90 to 100 F, e.g., 95 F.and held overnight for about 8 to 12 hours, usually about 9 hourswhereby the brine solution in the equalized pickles is diluted and about25% of the NaCl is removed from the pickles. By desalting as by rinsingwith water just described at a temperature of about 90 to 100 F., inwhich range the solubility of the salt is best, and at the specifictemperature range just indicated, there may be removed about 25 to 50%of the salt but about 25% is adequate in most cases. More than one rinseis sometimes used but is not preferred.

Thereafter, the pickles are drained and there remains in the picklesenough hlaCl to render the pickles electrically conductive. In thiscondition, the pickles, in accordance with this invention, are passed ona conveyor which is preferably agitated through an electrical fieldwherein an electrical discharge in the form of arcing is passed throughthe pickles and opens up small openings through out the surface of thesame. A conventional electrostatic apparatus is used for this purposeand the voltage of the electrostatic machine is between 15,000 and25,000 volts, preferably 20,000 volts. This improved step alone willtake the place of the customary pricking or piercing apparatus wherebythe pickles are pierced with pins. In some cases, the electricaltreatment will be after, i.e., supplement such pricking treatment, orthe mechanical pricking may supplement the electrical treatment, i.e.,be after the electrical treatment, all depending upon the character ofthe cucumbers and their condition at the time of treatment. Usually, theelectrical treatment is adequate. In connection with the electricaltreatment, of course, there must be suflicient salt present in thepickles to cause the electrical current to pass through the same, andwhere the salt content is removed within the range above recited, namely25 to 50%, this is possible. Excellent results have been obtained inopening up the pores of the cucumbers where the rinsing removed about50% of the salt but 25% is usually enough.

In connection with the electrical treatment with agitation of thecucumbers and the rinsing, these two steps might be'combined with therinsing taking place upon a conveyor leading to the electrostaticmachine or upon a conveyor leading from the latter, such conveyors,including the conveyor of the electrostatic machine being suitablyinclined and vibrated if desired. The conveyor in the electrostaticfield is preferably vibrated as above described.

The pickles are now delivered to a tank having means for creating apositive pressure, i.e., above atmospheric pressure, and means forproducing a reduced pressure, i.e., below atmospheric pressure, suchmeans being capable of continuous intermittent operation to result inWhat is most readily described as a breathing action in the tank. Thepickles are covered with hot or cold water which is brought to atemperature of about 90 to 100 F.,

3,070,444 Patented Dec. 25, 1962 ice e.g., F. This breathing procedurebrings about so lution of: about 50% of the remaining NaCl in thepickles covered by the water at a temperature of 90 to 100 F. Thisremoval of the salt in the tank or vacuum-pressure pan having about a200 gallon capacity will usually take about 10 to 20 minutes, e.g.,about 15 minutes will get about 50% of the salt out, so that about 62/2% of the original salt content of the pickles has now been removed.This amount, more or less, can be removed where brine pickles aredesired and where dill or where sugar syrup is to be be incorporated inthe drained pickles, a vacuum is drawn on the same in thepressure-vacuum tank which opens up the pores in the drained pickles andremoves residual gases and moisture, and while a condition of reducedpressure is present and remains and is maintained, the sugar syrup ordrill is introduced and by reason of the reduced pressure, will readilypenetrate the open pores of "the pickles. The sugar syrup or the dillsyrup, where the latter is used, covers the pickles in the tank.

The invention, as will be appreciated, is primarily useful for makingsyrup pickles and after the syrup has been so introduced to the tankhaving a reduced pressure therein, the positive pressure and reducedpressure creating means are intermittently but continuously operated toproduce a breathing ellect until the pickles become equalized with thesyrup. This usually takes 20 to 45 minutes, e.g., 30 minutes, andenables an effective result to be obtained uniformly in a minimum oftime and with substantial economy.

While I have added the syrup and covered the pickles with the tank atnormal atmospheric pressure or even increased pressure, and thensubjected the pickles to the breathing action, I have found theforegoing procedure to be preferable to speed up the incorporation ofthe syrup or dill and uniformly equalize the pickles with the same,i.e., adding the liquid to be included in the pickles while the latterare in a tank under reduced pressure followed by subjecting the liquidcovered pickles to the aforesaid breathing action.

in the accompanying drawings,

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of one form of construction forintroducing a dill or syrup into the pickles,

FEGURE 2 is a view of a modification for accomplishing the same purpose,

FIGURE 3 is a detail on the line 33 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view partly broken away of the constructionshown in FEGURES 2 and 3,

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of the electrostatic machine and associatedconveyor, the same being diagrammatically illustrated and also showingthe inclined feed ing conveyor; this feeding conveyor may be used as arinsing apparatus, and

FEGURE 6 is an elevation of the receiving conveyor from theelectrostatic machine which, as illustrated, is inclined and may also beemployed, if desired, for rinsing, it being understood that rinsing ofthe brine treated cucumbers is preferably accomplished by the use ofrinsing water having a temperature of 90 to 100 'F. although roomtemperature may be used, if desired.

Referring to FEGURE 5, the cucumbers in the salting vat where they havebeen preserved for anywhere from a month to two years or more in saltwater are de-salted in the vat by draining and then replacing thedrained brine with rinsing water at 90 to 100 F., in this example aboutF, to remove about 25 to 50% of the salt in this instance 25%, whereuponsuch cucumbers are again drained and th n are fed on the inclinedconveyor 10 to the conveyor 11 of an electrostatic machine havingelectrodes 12 and 13 whereby the pickles are subjected tothe electricalarcing discharge of 20,000 volts while being agitated on the conveyor llby reason of the eccentrically mounted rollers 14 as shown at 15. Thesparks which 3;- are readily observed as passing between the electrodes12 and 13 appear to produce minute openings or pores in the pickles and,as stated above, this electrostatic treatment may take place after theconventional pricking or the conventional pricking may follow theelectrostatic treatment.

The treated pickles leave the electrostatic machine and travel down theconveyor 3.6 to be subsequenhy treated.

In connection with the inclined conveyors it) and 16, as stated, thesecan also be constituted as a rinsing apparatus, the importantconsideration being that, for the purpose of the electrostatic machine,there be an adequate amount of salt present to facilitate the passing ofthe electrical current through the pickles, e.g., a removal of about 25%is adequate.

The conveyor 16 may be utilized in connection, alone, with theelectrostatic machine and the cucumbers allowed to roll down the same orthe conveyor 16 is agitated by means of an eccentric mounting such asshown at as desired, in the electrostatic field.

If it is not desired to rinse the pickles before the electricaltreatment, this removal of salt and water may subsequently take place ina manner to be later described.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the kettle 20 has a steam jacket 21 at its lowerend and at its upper end has an inlet for air under pressure shown at22, the air pressure being about 15 pounds in the kettle 2G. The dill orsyrup inlet is indicated at 213, a top outlet from the kettle isindicated at 24 which may lead by a conduit to a hot well 25 to create avacuum within the kettle 2G or this vacuum may be created by the steaminjector device 26' in line 24 or both means may be used. The picklesare introduced through the door 26 and steam is introduced to the jacket21 at 27 and condensate is removed from the jacket at 28. Thetemperature in the kettle is maintained at about 125 F. The syrup,namely sugar or dill syrup, is introduced while a reduced pressure ofabout 17 inches of mercury is maintained on the pickles in the kettle,and covers the pickles. The syrup readily enters the pores in thepickles to assist in uniformly equalizing the pickles.

Thereafter, in the operation of this apparatus, air is introduced underpressure intermittently at 22 and the vacuum is created intermittentlythrough the line 24 so as to continuously produce a breathing effectupon the pickles.

Since the pores of the pickles have been opened by the previouselectrostatic treatment with or without the pricking treatment, the dillsyrup or sugar syrup, by reason of the intermittent pressure and reducedpressure conditions in the kettle, will continue to penetrate the openpores in a highly satisfactory manner so as to equalize the pickles. Thepressure is usually about 27 inches of vacuum but may vary between 27and 29 inches and the air pressure may vary between 12 and 25 pounds, inthe present instance, 15 pounds, p.s.i.g.

In the use of the kettle 20, pickles which have not been rinsed may beintroduced to the kettle and subjected to the vacuum and pressuretherein to remove the brine. Preferably, however, if the kettle is usedin this manner, the rinsing will take place in the kettle with the waterat about 100 to 125 F. and the NaCl removed in the amount desired.

Instead of using the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1, a rotating vat 30shown in FIGURE 2 may be employed, the pickles being introduced andremoved through the inlet 31, the air pressure through the line 32, andthe syrup through the line 33 while the vacuum is created through theline 34. It will be observed that the inlets 32, 33 and the outlet 34pass through the trunnions 35 and that the tank or vat 30 is rotated oroscillated by a chain drive 36 and motor 37, the chain being connectedto a gear on the shaft 38 carrying the tank 30.

The treatment in the rotating vat 30 is similar to that described inconnection with the kettle 20, the pickles being preferably dischargedthrough the inlet 31 but may be removed through an outlet 39.

Both the vat 3G and the kettle 23 are constructed to tolerate an airpressure of 12 to 25 pounds, p.s.i.g., and a vacuum of 27 to 29 inches.The same breathing or intermittent action of the pressure and vacuum iscontinuously applied upon the pickles which have been partiallytie-salted and which have their pores opened either by the electrostatictreatment or by mechanical pricking or both.

By reason of the present invention, it is possible to do in one-half toone hour what was formerly necessary to take a month in the case of asweet syrup. In this connection, the introduction of the dill is alsoexpedited substantially.

Treatment in the kettle 2t or the vat 3t} takes about 20 to 30 minutes,depending on the size of the kettle and the amount of the batch, theimportant consideration bcing to introduce the sugar or dill syrup andcover the pickles while a reduced pressure is present in the kettle orvat and to have the intermittent breathing action effect continuation ofthe introduction of the dill or syrup into the pores or holes formed bythe pricking or electrostatic treatment or both to equalize the pickles.

In connection with the rotating vat 30 a steam jacket similar to thejacket 21 not shown is utilized, the steam being introduced through thetrunnion at 49 and condensate removed from the jacket in the vat 31) at41.

As previously indicated, de-salting may take place in the kettle 2% orthe vat 39 by adding the rinse water and heating by means of the steamjacket while maintaining a reduced pressure, as described above,followed by the intermittent pressure and vacuum conditions recited soas to eliminate any desired percentage of the salt. Then any remainingwater is drawn off and the dill or sweet syrup under reduced pressure asdescribed is introduced followed by the breathing action.

After treatment in the kettle or rotating vat 30, the pickles are packedin jars with liquor from the kettle or vat in the usual manner.

While I have referred above to the usual dill and sugar syrups employedfor preparing pickles, I also use, following the teachings of thisinvention, a sugar syrup which contains a mixture of sucrose and cornsyrup, the corn syrup being present in amount of 40% to 60% of the totalsugar and preferably about 50% by weight.

I claim:

1. In the process of making pickles having incorporated therein a syrup,wherein the pickles are initially held in an aqueous salt solution, theimprovement which comprises subjecting pickles having about 25 to 50% ofthe original salt content removed but retaining a sufficient saltcontent effective to make them electrically conductive throughout theirinterior to an electrostatic field whereby to open up a multitude ofpores in the pickles, and thereafter incorporating the syrup whereby itenters said pores and penetrates throughout the pickles.

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the pickles are agitatedwhile the electric current passes through them.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein the syrup is incorporatedwhile the pickles are under continuously applied intermittent positiveand reduced pressure.

4. The process according to claim 3 wherein the salt content is firstreduced by subjecting the pickles to reduced pressure.

5. The process according to claim 1 wherein the syrup is sugar syrup.

6. The process according to claim 1 wherein the syrup is dill.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,261,412 Lewites Apr. 2, 1918 1,829,932 Hey Nov. 3, 1931 1,890,475 ToddDec. 13, 1932 2,219,772 Gernhardt Oct. 29, 1940

1. IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING PICKLES HAVING INCORPORATED THEREIN A SYRUP,WHEREIN THE PICKLES ARE INITIALLY HELD IN AN